NL Cypress-CS080905 (2)
CClppel1 officIals say deal reached over land at Dallas' North Lake I WFAA.com I Local N... Page 1 of2
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Local News
Coppell officials say deal reached over land at Dallas' North Lake
12:00 .\M COT on Friday. September 5. 2008
B)' BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
bfonllb~:(I dallaslI\'\\ ".com / The Dallas \1orning News
.Jon Nielsen contributed to this report.
Feudll1g partIes in the long-running. litigation-riddled battle over a planned development around North
Lakc saId Thursday that they have reached a compromise to divvy up nearly 1,700 acres around the
coveted Dallas lake.
Coppell officials scud that as part of the agreement, which has yet to be finalized, pending lawsuits
involvmg Coppell. Its school district developer Billingsley Co. and Dallas would be withdrawn. They
all stem from Billingsley's plans for a massive mixed-use project on more than 500 acres it already
owns.
TIllS week's agreement is expected to gi\e Coppell 475 acres of the land and the Coppell school district
122 acres Ahout 50 acres would be retained hy current owner Luminant Energy, a subsidiary of Energy
Future Holdings, formerly TXU, which has a power plant near the lake. Billingsley would end up with
an estimated 1,043 acres. including the hundreds of acres it already owns.
Coppell officials heralded the agreement Thursday as an amicable end to a lengthy fight.
"I'm OhvlOusly relieved that thIS multi-year land dispute has ended in a positive way for all of the parties
imo!\cd" Coppell \1ayor Doug Stover said.
North Lake Isjust north ofLBJ Freeway in northwest Dallas, connected to the city by a small strip of
land. BLlI the property borders Coppell and Irving. and most of the land is within the Coppell
Independent School District.
Billingsley's mitial plans for the mixed-use Cypress \Vaters development called for the project to have
betv,:een 4,noo and 10,500 housing un its. according to estimates.
Those plans drew ire from Irving, Coppell. and Coppell school officials who said the development
would 11urden already-overcrowded campuses and stress traffic flows in the area.
Earlier thiS year, Billingsley bid on the additional acreage for sale around North Lake. Luminant then
gave In ing and Corp ell officials a chance to make their own bids.
"We wanted 10 do the right thing," said Allan KoenIg, a Luminant spokesman.
[rvll1g officials said they would not bid on the land hut would support Coppell in whatever action it took.
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C:lppel\ officials say deal reached over land at Dallas' North Lake I WF AA.com I Local N... Page 2 of2
The Coppell City Counclllast month approved the issuance of $30 million in bonds to buy the land, but
a Cltv spokeswoman said Thursday that she dId not think the city would end up spending that much.
Mr Koel1lg said thL' energy company would sell the latest acreage to Billingsley, which would then sell
the agreed-on portions to Coppell and the school district.
Sale amounts were not released Thursday. Coppell officials said because details were still being worked
out the amount of acreage each party winds up with could change. Luminant will maintain about 50
acres and \\ill continue to operate an existing power station.
Coppell elty officials said they will use their land 1(Jr utility improvements, including a new water pump
station and v,ater storage unit. The city also plans to use the area for police and fire training.
Billingsley Dallas and Coppell school officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Accordmg to alolllt news release issued by the city ofCoppell and the school district, Coppell ISO will
use its land acquired in the deal for two elementary schools, a high school and additional administrative
space It was unclear Thursday how the agreement would change the scope of Billingsley's plans.
The release also s;'lId that Billingsley agreed to "cap the number of residential units in its Cypress Waters
deve\npment at a reasonable density" if Irving provides utilities "through an agreement with Dallas."
That \\ as news to Irvlllg officials late Thursday. Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said he and his
stalfhave been following North Lake developments but have heard nothing about Irving providing
utilities
"I'\c gotten no forma] request from anyone asking us to provide utilities," Mr. Gonzalez said.
Staff writer .Jon Nielsen contributed to this report.
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